I know some of you recently have asked some questions about fishing tourneys and how some people are always on top. I did some searching and found this article. Some of you might like it.
Key sentence: SOME OF YOU might like it.
I’m not sure i like point #4, as that is kind of bush-league. I know everyone “looks” to see what others are doing, but move on. You’ll know what i mean when you read it.
Good luck to those fishing this weekend!!
Not a bad article, it all seemed true to me. There’s alot more to those shortcuts than the article really says though. Look at what it takes to understand the areas mentioned, especially understanding #1 for a variety of bodies of water . I mean look at some of the categories… vegetation, natural forage, cover, structure… vegetation and natural forage covers alot of ground… knowing the difference between curly pond weed, eel grass, deer tongue, northern milfoil, eurasian water milfoil, hydrilla etc… heck in some places you have to find out what the locals call things to understand what people are talking about… In alot of places people call ‘rushes’ “pencil reeds” or ‘cat tails’ “bullrushes” … so even if you actually know what they are there’s a communication problem unless you ask the guy to really describe the plant hehehe. Forage is even more difficult unless you generalize to minnows versus crawfish vs leeches vs bullheads vs bluegills vs shad and don’t get into the gazillion different types of forage that are available to the fish. There are some pretty significant differences in ecosystems as well plus, again, some of the local and some of the scientific definitions throw you hahaha… a gizzard shad is a herring… but a lake herring (cisco) is actually a salmonidae… a walleye is not a pike its a perch. Don’t see many cisco or tulibee in the lower Mississippi but you do in Northern Minnesota. Alot to learn on a single body of water let alone several bodies of water. Makes you sure respect the folks that can be consistent all over. I know it related the article as ‘short cuts’ but I think it left out ‘time on the water’ as probably the thing that seperates folks more than any other thing. Those that are more fanatic spend more time on the water and everything else seems to improve from there. The ability to recognize the general and subtle differences in all the categories he listed improves with time on the water. Makes me wonder sometimes how good several anglers I consider to be good would really be if they had 250+ days on the water… WOW… I think they’d stun folks cause of what they do as weekend anglers really.
I never have purchased an oxygen meter though I’ve thought about it. I’ve always depended on looking at the shape vegetation is in or the presence of current (wind or flowage) or springs. Probably something worth looking at.
Consistency is a difficult thing to achieve. I sure haven’t achieved it though its a goal. It goes in streaks for me … now there’s a conflict in terms… streaky consistency hahaha! But… thats how it seems to go… I’m hoping the streaks get closer together and last longer as time goes on hahaha.
Anyway, thanks for posting that. I enjoyed the read. Articles like that always cause me to look at what I’m doing.
Curt
Good read- i would agree with curt that the one short cut not mentioned is time on the water learning not the patterns or baits that are working but seasonal patterns, baitfish migrations, aquatic vegetation effects at various stages, water level effects, insect hatches, etc and the effect they have on bass lures, activity, daily feeding rituals, etc.
Over time we remember (or if you are smart write down) what we did when the mayflies hatch, shad hatch, etc and what seemed to work and not work- that way hopefully it cuts some time off future outings under similar circumstances. That brings us back to the one place we cant cut- time on the water. I agree with curt,it is amazing what some weekend anglers are able to achieve with minimal time on the water- they seem to have a sense of what should be happening so they are not blindly running to past spots (without regard to the above). A wise angler i know refers to this as quality time on the water, not quantity. 
So, what restaurant do all you local river guys eat breakfast at? 
Perkins right around the corner from Clinton St. landing 
Hello, boys,
Number 1. seemed to make the most sense to me, as well as spending time on the tournament waters.
Every angler who I believe to be good that I’ve spoke with regarding what it takes to reach their level have all given the same answer: “…just spend alot of time on the water and understand the fish.”
Thanks 
,
Okay, to Curt’s point, I have heard over the past few years people refer to the weed “Deer Tongue” on the river… but, this is one I have yet to identify. My wife is a Landscape Architect and says that it is native to Pine Forest floors… Hmmm… The attached is a picture of it… can anyone help me understand what you are referring to as “Deer Tongue” with respect to the Mighty Miss? 
The weed I relate the name “deer tongue” to is actually an aquatic plant. It has a narrow stem and usually in appearance one long(6-8″) blade on it. Most times the blade lays flat on the water. It’s one of those weeds that fishes best in moving water similar to eel grass. If you do a search in IDA, Champman laid the eel grass groundwork nicely last year.
You may want to try and do a Mississippi River vegetation search on the internet and see what comes up. There may be a pic of it. I’ve not searched for it on the ‘net, so I have no idea what you’ll find. All I know is what weeds to look for and what weeds to stay away from. 
I did do a search… that is why I am confused. I think this is a “local dialect” to fisheman. I think I might know to what you are speaking, but not clear. Thanks, Blue. Anyone know for sure or have a picture? Perhaps hanging from a Bass in a picture! 
If you do a search for deer tongue on the ‘net you might not find much. But doing a search in general for Miss. River vegetation might yeild more. I would think the DNR or Corps websites should have something.
we will bring you back a picture of some. Maybe we will even have time to post some variety. The only problem is that there is one plant we dare not post about.. Or at least what the natives call it.
jc
That would be great – and much appreciated.
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The only problem is that there is one plant we dare not post about.. Or at least what the natives call it.
jc
But this comment has me very curious! 
Its a scummy weed that had no fish in it. Absolutely no fish what so ever. It kiils everything is comes in contact with and chokes out the good vegetation.
jc
I’ve called it among other names, cotton moss. It’s green and wraps around darn near everything. It’s not know to be a weed bass live in. I know of some other choice names for this stuff, but they aren’t anything I could post here.
I got it now… that mossy slimey green “stuff” that drapes over your buzzbaits and everyting else… cannot even pick it off… yes, nasty stuff. So, there are actual names the locals call it? Hmmm… I’d love a PM to know what its called!
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Hmmm… I’d love a PM to know what its called!
No……..you wouldn’t. I don’t think your monitor could handle it..
snot-weed 
Reel Guy,
The actual name of the plant is Polygonum amphibium or commonly referred to as water heart’s ease or water smartweed though there are several varients of water smartweed. Fisherman call it ‘deer tongue’ they also tend to call Illinois Pondweed ‘deer tongue’ but the leaves are alot bigger… I’ll see if I can get these pictures to actually show up hahaha… gawd I wish I was just a little more computer literate. First two pictures are water smartweed or water hearts ease. Last picture is Illinois Pondweed. Hmmm… I take that back.. I can’t get the Illinois Pondweed to show up.
[image]http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/potill.html[/image]
Ok… trying Illinois Pondweed again… YAHOOO it worked !!
Hope the pictures helped.
Curt
Thanks, Curt!!!!
Curt,
Good job with the photos and the second one, Potamogeton illinoiensis is what is commonly refered to as deer tongue. Water smartweed has many common names but I have personally never heard it refered to as deer tongue. Maybe in other circles it is but being an aquatic biologist it has never been refered to by peers.
The “snot weed” that we have all seen and dealt with is actually a macro algae called Cladophora. It is borne by too much nutrients and as someone stated it kills out the vegetation that it adheres to and also the animal life, including fish that normally are found in healthy stands of submergent aquatic plants.
Moral of the story is that if you see the “snot weed” all over your favorite weedbed, move around until you find some that is not covered or go elsewhere. This algae is very common in waters with too many nutrients.
bass423… thanks.
So, the next question… when fishing deer tongue, do you fish it like southern Hydrilla (i.e. big weights pegged, or do you fish the tops, or do you fish the edges?)
Hmmm… as I wrote that, I think I know the answer… Yes, yes, and yes. Right? 
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The answer… Yes, yes, and yes. Right!
As the great Buck Perry once wrote, they are either shallow, deep or somewhere in between. It is nice when you can answer your own questions. 
Good luck in your fishing efforts. I personally have not caught many bass from deer tongue but mostly nothern pike. This plant likes cooler water it seems and grows around springs in some lakes. Hope this helps but don’t not fish it because of my experiences.
B423,
For several years the folks in Minnesota and Iowa I’ve fished with referred to water smartweed as ‘deer tongue’. When I fished a regional in Kentucky on Kentucky lake one of the anglers told me that most of the weed growth was dead because they treated the system after complaints about it being weed choked. He said he’d found fish in areas where ‘deer tongue’ existed. I, of course, hadn’t seen any of the ‘deer tongue’ I was used to seeing but had seen the Illinios Pondweed. He brought back a leaf to show me or I’d still be referring to water smartweed as ‘deer tongue’ and not even consider Illiniois pondweed part of the equation hehehe. Its amazing how entrenched beliefs become. I will say this… 90 percent of the time I say water smartweed the guy I’m talking to looks at me like I’ve lost my mind hahaha!
I don’t know if its because there are many other forms of vegetation that hold the fish much more often than water smartweed and Illiniois pondweed or that they just never heard of water smartweed.
There’s still a debate whether its emmergent, submergent, or a marsh weed. After looking it up I understand the debates. All three varieties exist hahaha. Its no wonder we get confused.
Thanks for posting what other biologist refer to when they are talking about deer tongue! By the way do you have an internet resource by chance that shows it from a distance so Reel Guy can get a better picture of how it exists in the water. The picture I sent shows it close up but not really how you’d spot it with the boat going down the river.
Curt
Curt,
I would go to the net and type in the latin name and search for hits. You will come up with some resource sites that you can save to your computer for future use. You will see a bunch of journal type articles from students and professors on studies and also hit Internet vegetation sites like Nature Serve and various State University photo catalogs of plants. That should help although viewing in a boat at speed will not alwyas allow accurate ID but where it grows in the water resource is in shallow areas. I have not seen too much of this plant except in select backwater areas off the main river.
Thanks guys. Thought I’d share my research with others…
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Illinois pondweed is a common submersed plant. Illinois pondweed grows equally well in swift-flowing rivers or quiet lake margins.
These perennial pondweeds have both floating and underwater leaves. The long, broad underwater leaves of Illinois pondweed are on short leaf stalks. The floating leaves are not always present and have stalks shorter than the leaf blade. Long-leaf pondweed has narrower, translucent underwater leaves and long leaf stalks. The leathery, oblong floating leaves are on leaf stalks longer than the leaf blade. Both species are common throughout North American waters.
May be confused with: Illinois pondweed can be confused with other pondweeds having broad submersed leaves, especially whitestem pondweed (P. praelongus) or bigleaf pondweed (P. amplifolius). Long-leaf pondweed can be confused with grass-leaved pondweed (P. gramineus) or alpine pondweed (P. alpinus). Detailed measurements of the leaves can usually distinguish them. Many pondweeds form hybrids with intermediate characteristics.
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Scientific name: Polygonum coccineum
Common name: Pond Smartweed
Smartweed is a perennial that reproduces by seed and by long creeping rhizomes. It produces a deep rose pink flower on a 7 cm long spike from May to November. The 4 to 14 cm long lanceolate leaf is reddish near the base. Because it has swollen nodes on the stems, it is sometimes called “knotweed”. This semiaquatic plant is dormant in winter.
Now, bass423 or Curt… no way you actually FISH this?
HAHAHA! Reel Guy there are more than one varient of the plant. That’s what I was referencing above. If you keep researching it you’ll see that one varient is submergent and thats the varient I provided pictures of hehehe.
I do agree with ya though hahaha first requirement is water hahaha.
Curt
I always heard it refered to mother-in-law tongue…..
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